Of the 32 teams headed to Russia, The Nigerian National Team’s Nike-designed jersey to the 2018 World Cup in Russia has become a fan favourite.

Upon its launch in Nike stores in England on Friday, June 1st, 2018, the jersey reportedly sold out in three short hours. Now, an Irish betting site, Paddy Power, has quoted the jersey as one of the reasons it will support the Eagles at the tournament in Russia.

Paddy Power is one of the world’s biggest betting sites. Based out of Ireland, the platform is most known among Nigerians for its presence on Twitter, where it posts funny, sometimes parodying tweets in response to various sporting events and trends.

If we’re compiling a list of football-related trends on social media over the last couple of days, the Super Eagles and their jersey have to be at or near the top of the list. The Eagles played England at Wembley on Saturday, June 2, 2018, and one of the major talking points was, of course, the jersey.

That morning, Paddy Power tweeted from its official account, @paddypower, that it would be supporting the Nigerian National Team for three reasons.

Guinness and three reasons

First, the Super Eagles kit “looks class”, an opinion that looks much better with a -y at the end of the second word.

Second, like the Irish National Team, Nigeria lines up in green, the colour of two-thirds of our national flag, the dense vegetation you zoom by while you’re travelling between states and the greed that defines our political class.

Third, it claims “Nigeria consumes more Guinness than Ireland”. It was true 11 years ago. In 2007, Diageo announced that Nigeria had overtaken Ireland as the second largest market for their black stout.

The world’s largest drinks company said Nigeria accounted for 18% of sales in the year ending June 2007.

There’s not been any new information since then.

The fourth and, perhaps most important reason, is that the Irish National Team will not be playing in Russia.

The island nation was second, behind Serbia, in their European Qualifying Group.

Nigeria’s national team jersey and the kit’s release have taken advantage of a wave of curiosity about Nigeria. That and a unique design inspired by the Eagle’s wings, and other pop culture references, have made it a fan favorite.

The official creative announcing that the kit’s launch in stores featured Grammy-nominated Wizkid, Beats 1 host and radio personality, Julie Adenuga and Arsenal forward Alex Iwobi, among others.

Do it for Yekini and the Culture

Nigeria’s jersey draws on the nostalgia of the 1994 team when the country first appeared at the World Cup.

Most Nigerian fans are already in World Cup mode, and it’s fair to say it amplified after the jersey was unveiled by a cast of stars that included Wizkid, Alex Iwobi, and later, Julie Adenuga.

Fake replicas appeared to meet an impossible demand for the jersey before it was launched on Friday, June 1, 2018.

2018’s young team has weighty expectations on their shoulders.

The jersey was inspired by the kit worn by the 1994 team, the first to appear at the world cup.

Nobody, not even Coach Gernot Rohr expects the Eagles to fly back in gold, but the likes of Iwobi and Iheanacho are expected to liven Nigerian spirits.